Living Well Is The Best Revenge
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: Connor helps Abby put the past behind her by confronting it head on.


"This was a terrible idea!" Connor hissed, walking behind Abby, hiding really.  
She kept a firm grip on his hand and dragged him along, her high heels hitting  
the hardwood beneath their feet with a loud din that echoed around them. He  
gulped and the tie he wore felt like a noose. He'd never been in a situation  
like this and it made him extremely nervous. He'd only come along for Abby's  
sake, but felt very much like he was heading to the gallows. He wasn't good  
with crowds or people he didn't know, even after all these years. Still, for  
his wife's sake he'd endure, and hope there were some tasty hors d'oeuvres.

Suddenly Abby stopped and he nearly ran right into her. She spun around and  
grabbed him the the shoulders, looking him in the eye. "You're right! We  
should never have come! Let's go, right now. We'll go straight home to London  
and have sex. You like sex. Yes, right now, home!" She moved past him and  
made a hasty retreat. It dawned on Connor that she was even more nervous than  
him.

"Ah ah! No you don't!" He ran outside after her and grabbed her around  
the waist, picking her up, turning them around and setting her back down so  
they were facing the direction of the entrance to the banquet hall. "We  
can do this, together. We're here because you've become an amazing, accomplished  
woman who's got a happy, fulfilling marriage to a man who adores you who is  
also amazing and accomplished."

Abby let out a shaky breath and shook her head. "I can't, Connor. They  
were monstrous to me. You... okay, you do understand what it's like, but..."

"No buts, sweetheart. You and me, we were told we weren't good enough,  
that we didn't matter. We got good grades, we worked hard, but that didn't count  
at the time, no. We know better now, but when we were back in school what mattered  
was being accepted and neither of us were." He cuddled closer and nuzzled  
her cheek with his nose and kissed the corner of her mouth. He took her hand  
in his and brought it to his lips to bestow a kiss upon it too. Her wedding  
rings sparkled under the light from the lamppost. The golden band he'd given  
her lay next to another ring, five diamonds in a row that took her breath away  
every time she looked at them. She'd dressed herself in an emerald green chiffon  
cocktail dress that swished and flowed as she walked, while Connor was dressed  
in charcoal gray from head to toe save for a silk tie the same colour as her  
dress.

"You're very handsome in your suit, Conn," she said, giving his hand  
a squeeze.

"You're the most beautiful woman here, or anywhere. We'll just put in  
an appearance if you like. You can tell everyone that you're a Zoological specialist  
employed by the government and your husband is a scientist with three degrees  
who's considered one of the government's most valuable assets, saves humanity  
on occasion... and for fun we hunt dinosaurs and travel through time."

Abby laughed. "I can't tell them that!" He leaned in a kissed the  
side of her neck and making her entire body shiver with excitement.

"No, best leave out the time travel part, or they'll start asking about  
me TARDIS and I'll have to explain that it's not fully grown yet and..."

"Oh shut up!" She laughed again and he with her.

"Come on, we've come all this way, let's got show Brighton's Class of  
2003 just how brilliant Abby Maitland is!"

"Temple, it's Abby Temple now - and forever."

Six hours later, Abby and Connor lay side by side in bed at their hotel, naked  
and satiated from a rather energetic session of lovemaking. The night had gone  
even better than Abby could've hoped for. The girls who'd bullied her in school  
for having no dad, and an alcoholic mother who'd been the shame of the community  
for her loose ways with men, had been quite succinctly put in their place. Not  
only had Abby been the most beautiful woman at the reunion, she'd also been  
the most successful. The details were unimportant, but by the end of the night  
no one could deny that Abby Maitland, or rather Abby Temple as she'd corrected  
many of her former classmates, was a formidable woman. There was no denying  
her now.

However despite showing her tormentors that she had a fascinating and important  
career as well as having evidently had quite a few adventures, what Abby was  
most proud of was that they'd all seen how much she was loved and cherished  
by the man she was lucky enough to call husband.

She rolled over and snuggled at his side, insinuating her leg between his and  
caressing his chest with her hands and lips. Her rumbled deep in his chest and  
his own hands roamed over her body. Their eyes met and they shared a smile.

"Thanks for tonight," she whispered and captured his mouth for a  
passionate kiss that told him they'd be getting very little sleep this night.


End file.
